NEW RULES FOR COURT INTERPRETERS?

From Spanish to Serbian to Creole, the law speaks many languages in Florida. Some South Florida legislators want to make sure they are spoken accurately.

Proposals (HB 849, SB 1128) to set statewide standards for court interpreters are making their way through the state Legislature.

If they pass, the state Supreme Court will have to lay out training requirements, rules of conduct and disciplinary procedures for interpreters in a wide range of court settings, from murder trials to will proceedings. The standards would apply throughout the state's network of circuit and county courts; federal courts have their own requirements.

Supporters say statewide rules would help standardize and professionalize a low-key but high-stakes job.

"What we do is a profession, and it should be considered that way," said Sean Logsdon, who interprets Spanish in about 300 Palm Beach County cases each month. "In a first-degree murder triala word can mean a whole lot." Court rulings and Florida law call for providing court interpreters when needed. They are considered part of constitutional guarantees of fair treatment in court, especially in a state where the U.S. Census found 1 in 10 people do not speak English very well.

But for now, there is no statewide test, credentialing or guidelines for court interpreters. It is up to court circuits to decide who qualifies as an interpreter; their standards vary.

The Florida court system offers court-interpretation tests in several languages but they are not mandatory. Still, courts in Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties look to them as crucial qualifications, according to local officials.

Jennifer Peltz can be reached at jpeltz@sun-sentinel.com or 850-224-6214.